French football official defends postponing match

Published Oct. 26, 2009 4:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

French football league president Frederic Thiriez has denied that postponing Marseille's match against Paris Saint-Germain at late notice was the catalyst for widespread violence erupting in Marseille's city center.

Fans of the bitter rivals had running battles after Sunday night's game - scheduled for 2100 local time and televised on cable TV - was called off about six hours before kick off because PSG players Ludovic Giuly, Mamadou Sakho and Jeremy Clement had contracted swine flu.